bm

i, for one, do not take the daily bm for granted. if you have followed me through my travels, the bowel movement topic should be no surprise to you. it is, and always should be, a part of the daily routine - that one liberating moment when you can rest assured the system is fully functioning. but, of course, you may come across a day when the bm doesn't happen. not enough fiber. busy at work, tricking the body to think it's not a priority. plain ol' constipation. but hopefully, for most of us, we make up for it the following day. and what a moment (or few) it is!

now, i bring this up because the bm is, ironically, a major concern in my field of work. every day, i have to ask my antepartum and laboring patients when they had their last bowel movement. and for my postpartum patients, have you had a bm yet? pre-delivery, we want to make sure the bowels are flushing because any buildup could lead to premature contractions. post-delivery, we want to make sure patients aren't straining at the toilet, thereby irritating the perineum or putting undo force on an incision. main point here: the bm is IMPORTANT!

which is why my heart filled with glee when my antepartum patient with twins enjoyed a freeing bowel movement last night...after three days of dreadful buildup. she felt relieved, the nurses cheered, and i'm sure the twins kicked in celebration. let freedom ring!